I am in San Diego right now at Coffee + Flowers, catching up a bit on the blog. It's been a crazy few weeks so even on vacay I need to do a bit of 'work' :). I am also just so excited to share this interview with you.

Danielle is one of those babes who I saw SO MANY times before I 'met' her and put a face with the name. She's everywhere in the fitness world, so you've probably seen her gorgeous self and lean/fit bod.

Crazy enough, her amazing sister called into a Almost 30 Podcast episode. The episode with our craziest caller yet (truly). If you want to listen, do so here.

We were also lucky enough to have had Danielle on the holiday episode talking about fitness. She's a REAL chick with an opinion, is down to earth and relatable. But during the episode she talked about how to stick with your routine, stay in the groove and the tips she uses during the holidays. I was OBSESSED with what she said about staying on track. It's so SIMPLE.

She said, no matter what, I eat my own breakfast.

DEAD.

So simple. She eats her normal protein shake, oatmeal, or whatever. Which sets her up for the day, balances the blood sugar and allows herself a little wiggle room later if she needs it.

So this one is so good. Insights and tricks from one of the fittest babes there is, let me introduce you to Danielle Pascente!

Tell us a little about who you are, what you do:

I’m a personal trainer/sports model/health & fitness entrepreneur in Los Angeles. I’ve been in the business for about 8 years now and am absolutely in LOVE with it. I’m so passionate about health & wellness. I grew up an athlete and played a variety of sports through the years. I think fitness is just something that will always be a big part of my life. I recently launched the first of my online training programs. My goal is to be able to reach more people than just those I train in Los Angeles. I’m creating workouts for people to do on the go, with little to no equipment. I named my programs “Kick-Ass Training” because they will kick your ass but you will see results. And who doesn’t like feeling like a total badass when they workout?

What's a typical day in the life?

Everyday is so different for me it really depends on my schedule. Some days I’m on an early photoshoot. Other days I’m training clients. It’s typically pretty packed though. First thing I do when I wake up is drink warm lemon water (YES I REALLY DO BELIEVE IN THIS!) To spare details, it gets things moving and alkalizes your system. I usually take some time in the morning to post on social media outlets - workout of the day, motivational quote, something along those lines. I’ll have breakfast and coffee while I’m answering e-mails, doing some content creation for my ebooks, and any other miscellaneous online work. I will then do a workout from roughly 11 AM - 1 PM. I don’t always have this much time BUT this is my ultimate favorite time to go if my schedule allows. I’m fueled from breakfast and still fresh enough to be motivated. I spend plenty of extra time stretching and foam rolling so this is why I like to take my time if I can.

In the afternoon it ranges. If I’m not training clients I may be going to a casting for a fitness related gig. If I’m not doing either of those things, I am ALWAYS in work mode when it comes to my online business. Lately that has taken an enormous amount of time (more than I ever thought possible). I try to carve out at least 3-5 hours in the afternoon or at night to work on my online products or blog.

I usually have an evening client so I will go train them around 5-7 PM ish. I then come home and have dinner while un-winding a little bit. Some days I like to totally power off and just read a book or watch a TV show. Other days, I’m so stacked with online work that I just work straight through dinner. I am adamant about ONE thing. I make it a habit to be in my bedroom by 9 PM. I’ll usually stretch or foam roll on the floor before getting into bed but I have my actual body in bed no later than 9:30 every single night. I am a HUGE believer in a minimum of 7 hrs of sleep per night if not more. This is just what I know my body requires to be able to function at 100%. I try not to sacrifice this bed time unless its an emergency or if I’m celebrating a birthday or doing something social - then obviously I have to stretch it. But if it’s just a regular day/night - I’m in bed by 9:00 usually.

If I have a photoshoot, this day looks very different. I will typically have an earlier call time so I try to wake up extra early and go for a run just to get my body moving. Photoshoots usually last anywhere from 5-10 hours. They are long days so I don’t have a ton of energy when I get home, in which case I will just head to bed and unwind right away. I lose motivation throughout the day, so I’ve never been good at doing workouts later in the day or at night. This is why you will likely find me waking up at 4:30 AM if I have to vs doing it at 7 PM.

If I’m hungry between breakfast/lunch which usually isn’t the case, but if I am - I’ll have a banana or handful of almonds/nuts.

Lunch

Typically consists of grilled chicken or egg white omelettes with lots of greens/veggies. I also love huge greens salads with quinoa and some sort protein. I’m a firm believer in trying to get protein in with each meal. I personally don’t like fish or red meat so I’m mostly eating chicken/ground turkey/eggs.

Snack

If I’m hungry between lunch/dinner i’ll usually have one of my favorite bars. I love LaraBar and Kind Bars because the ingredients are BOMB! Not a lot of extra shit inside. I also love ThinkThin if you are needing some extra protein and a more filling bar!

Dinner

The exact same thing I have for lunch. The only difference would be that I might sauté veggies or make it a hot meal. Grilled asparagus in olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. Sometimes I’ll sauté a bunch of stuff in a pan and it turns out like stir fry. I might add a sweet potato if I need some extra carbs or had a tough training day

Dessert

I have the biggest sweet tooth so I actually need to have something sweet every single day. I don’t cut out full food groups - I think its ok to have good ingredient desserts in moderation. Of course if you are the type to crush the whole bag or carton or whatever in one sitting - then maybe this rule isn’t going to work for you. I love Lily’s dark chocolate chips. Sometimes I’ll have a couple of rice cakes with Justin's nut butter and dark chocolate chips. I also LOVE boom chicka pop (so addicting). AND lastly, Halo Top ice cream birthday cake flavor (salivating as I write this). These are my go to desserts.

What do your workouts look like?

I actually think the easiest way to answer this question is to say, go to my Instagram! I post my workouts there almost every other day. These workouts are typically what I do as well. I love high intensity interval style training. I also launched a treadmill training program in November and I’ve been loving mixing these workouts in daily. Sometimes I will do a treadmill training workout paired with a HIIT circuit.

I will always aim for 10-20 mins of cardio either before or after my workout (depends on my mood). I love running and I love the stair master. There’s just no better feeling after doing either of those for that extra burn. I will sometimes do a split routine like lower body one day and upper body the next. I’m CONSTANTLY changing it up though. If I find a workout I really like, I will do that more often than others.

I’ve been loving this Saturday class I go to so that’s been somewhat of a staple for me. It’s called F45 Training. The Saturday session is a full body workout with 27 stations. You go through the 27 stations twice so it takes about 45 mins to an hour. SUCH A GOOD WORKOUT and perfect way to start the weekend.

What made you pursue a career in fitness?

I was a competitive athlete my whole life, so I knew I wanted to do something in the sports/health/wellness industry. I still knew fitness was going to be a huge part of my life, I just wasn’t sure in what capacity. I kind of fell into sports modeling but pursued personal training and really had a passion for that.

What's the best part about what you do:

Hands down seeing people get results!

Seeing people create lifestyle changes and watching their progress. I think the most priceless part about a job like this is you know you are changing people’s lives. I get at least one message a day saying “thanks for doing what you do,” or “I’ve been doing your workouts for years and I feel amazing,” etc etc. It never gets old to hear that someone is creating healthy habits and loving their life that way. That is exactly why I do what I do - to help others.

In regards to sports modeling, I think the best part about that job is just being able to shoot with some incredible brands! My 10 year old self would seriously have been peeing pants if she knew she was going to shoot with Nike, Adidas, Reebok, etc when she was older. I love traveling to new places and shooting in cool locations. Seeing an ad or campaign released is super rewarding too. You know the work that went into it first hand and to be a part of that is an indescribable feeling.

What's the hardest part about what you do:

I think the hardest part is just the pressure to constantly be on top of your game.

There’s no time for injuries, or being out of shape. You just have to take such good care of your body to be in this industry. You are a walking billboard. People want to work with people who are fit (and that’s the bottom line).

However, I whole heartedly believe in balance - so I don’t go to crazy extremes! I still live my life similar to that of an athlete. You train hard. You work hard. You dedicate yourself to your career. You take breaks when you need and eat to fuel your body!

What's one piece of advice you give to all your clients?

Be consistent! It’s not always about giving 100% each session, but it’s about staying consistent. A lot of my clients have rigorous schedules and travel a lot for work. I’m a firm believer in getting workouts in on the go. They can workout in their hotel room or hotel gym with one of my circuits. Don’t skip weekends or holidays. If you add up every weekend day and holiday throughout the year - you could be missing months of workouts. I swear by the 80/20 rule. Be mindful about eating good foods and getting workouts in 80% of the time. The other 20% is for LIFE! We all need to live it and it will inevitably get in the way at some point.

What's one thing you can't live without?

Ugh I HATE saying this but my phone. I never ever thought I’d be that person but I am that person. I’ve just transitioned heavily into the online business this year so it’s pretty crucial I have my phone at all times. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely put it away or turn it on silent if I need to (at appropriate times), but for the most part I use my phone to create and post content multiple times a day so I always have it. Coming in at a close second would be working out. I love working out so GOD WILLING, I will be able to do that daily for years to come :) By the way, I have probably 10 other things. It’s hard to pick just one. My friends/family/husband. I’ll just stop now……..before this becomes “20 things Danielle can’t live without.”

I loved your holiday tricks so much, can you please talk about how you stay on track during the holidays:

Go to my Instagram and find a workout!! They are all under 30 mins and you WILL feel amazing afterwards. If you don’t want to go to my IG, I highly suggest just doing a HIIT type of workout. Treadmill intervals, plyometrics, short rest periods, pushing to your max for those 20-30 mins. I also have a treadmill workout program I just launched so if running on the treadmill is your thing, you will love this! It’s a combination of treadmill/HIIT workouts ranging from 10 minutes to 40 minutes.

You're also a model :) what's a beauty trick you swear by:

Washing my face every morning and every night. Predictable…..I know! But I swear this has been a game changer from my college self to my current self. I used to go to bed with all my makeup on pretty much every night in my late teens early 20’s. Now, no matter how late or early it is, I will do my full face cleansing routine.

Favorite beauty product:

Clinique all about eyes de-puffing eye roller (this thing is freaking heavenly - you can get it here). Put it in the refrigerator. I swear it’s the best thing you will ever feel underneath your eyes and on your lid (especially if your having one of those days….you know…..little to no sleep).

Life mantra:

Take every risk. Drop every fear.

Favorite memory from 2016:

Launching my first online program in November. 2016 was a HUGE growth year for me, so even though it was intense at times and I wanted to throw in the towel - that moment of knowing even one person bought my product was incredible!

What you're most looking forward to in 2017:

The continuation of launching my online products and being able to reach more people! My husband also went “all in” on my business so we work together now and he’s been incredible! It’s a pretty cool experience to work together and be able to build something you are both proud of.